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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. current — happening now
  7. club — for golf
  8. track — a path
  9. field — for sport
  10. current — electric
  11. field — farmland
  12. root — of a word
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — of water
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — to breed
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. club — for dancing
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com